The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for providing “Video-Rich Navigation” (VRN) in an interactive media guidance application.
In current interactive media guidance applications, a user is presented with program guide data in a form of a neutral menu showing the available program mix and other available assets, such as Video-On-Demand (VOD), High-Definition Television (HDTV), Pay-per-View (PPV), Digital Video Recorder (DVR), music channels, digital cable and digital broadcast satellite (DBS), textual information, etc. A user is typically presented with a main menu and clicks through several options before arriving at a program the user may be interested in.
Due to the ever increasing number of channels and services, subscribers are faced with a daunting challenge of simplifying and enhancing their TV viewing experience. Network operators need ways to make viewers aware of and interested in their programming choices, and easier approaches are needed to seamlessly combine offerings from multiple network operators in ways transparent to the user.
It would therefore be desirable to provide systems and methods to present guidance for video assets to a user in a more user-friendly manner. It would also be desirable to enable network operators and service providers to display video pages with screen elements that provide selectivity, interactivity and enhanced functionality to make the display screen more easily navigable.